


What Are Older Brothers For?

by EradiKate



Series: Violet and Elderflower [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Broken Engagement, Fluff, Gen, Origin Story, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 04:56:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18403547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EradiKate/pseuds/EradiKate
Summary: A pre-canon look at how Katrin Trevelyan ended up at the Conclave.





	What Are Older Brothers For?

“I thought I’d find you here.”

 

Katrin started at the words, hastily dropping her trowel and scrubbing the back of her hand across her face.  “Hardly unusual,” she replied, trying to keep her tone light for her brother’s benefit. “I’ve been neglecting my poor roses.”

 

“Bollocks to the roses.”  Max picked up the trowel from its landing spot near his feet.  “I’ve never seen you care a whit for any plant that couldn’t be used in a potion.  It’s raining too hard to work in your herb garden, so here you are in Mother’s greenhouse.”

 

“So?”  Katrin held out her hand for her trowel, but Max made no move to return it to her.  “You know I’m getting married soon, I want to carry some of our roses in my bouquet.”

 

“All right,” Max agreed, amiably enough.  “What color?”

 

“What do you mean, what color?” Katrin asked, a trifle snappishly.

 

“You know, maybe pink?  Or white, so as to coordinate with the lovely blue gown you’ll be wearing.”  Twirling the little trowel, he sat down on the edge of a planter and looked expectantly at her.

 

“Oh, white, of course.  Nothing else looks quite right with the blue, don’t you think?”  She shook her hand impatiently, but Max still held onto the trowel.

 

“Liar.”

 

“I beg your pardon?”  Katrin hoped he’d take her flush for anger instead of embarrassment.  “Give me that, I have work to do.”

 

“I called you a liar.  I just saw the seamstresses carrying three different green silks.  Katrin, what’s wrong?” 

 

“Max, it’s nothing!  All right, so my head is a little jumbled with all this wedding planning but every bride gets the jitters, right?”  She smiled brightly at him and snatched up her rake. “And I will be working this out in the dirt.”

 

“Is it the dresses?  I know they’re a little much for you.  Or maybe it’s the bagpipers from Starkhaven, but you know how Father gets about that.  Remember my wedding?”

 

“I remember,” Katrin replied quietly.  “I mean, not the bagpipes in particular, but I remember watching you and Lydia dance together.  I thought it was so beautiful and I couldn’t wait until my own wedding.” She tried to hide it, but a tear rolled down her nose.  “And now here we are.”

 

Max stood and put a hand on her shoulder.  “Here we are, indeed. My baby sister is crying in the greenhouse rather than offering opinions on her own wedding gown.  What is it?”

 

“I told you, it’s nothing!”  She shook off his hand and started raking.  “I just don’t want to get married at all!” When her brother didn’t answer, she whirled around to glare at him.  “Are you happy?”

 

“Well, no,” he said mildly.  “But it’s a start. Why?”

 

“Why what?  Why don’t I want to marry a man who bores me to death?  Who has no sense of humor, hasn’t read a book other than an accounting ledger, and only likes horses if they’re pulling wagons of wine?  It’s a mystery, Max!” Katrin burst into tears.

 

“Maker’s piss,” Max muttered, then pulled his sister into a hug.  “If he’s that bad, why didn’t you say something?”

 

“Like what?  ‘Father, I know you accepted a sizable dowry from one of the most influential families in Antiva, but my future husband is a soulless boor so I’m afraid it simply won’t do.’  Can you imagine?” Katrin realized she was nearly screeching and took several deep, gulping breaths. “They’d be crushed.”

 

“Even if Mother and Father were that bad, and they’re not, that’s no reason for you to marry a man you loathe.”  Max shook her gently. “There’s still time to call off the wedding and I have the perfect plan to do it.”

 

Katrin sniffled and fished in her pocket for a handkerchief.  “It’s been two minutes and you already have a plan?”

 

“What are older brothers for?”  Max grinned at her. “Aside from putting toads in beds, which I never got to do to you.  You’ve never been afraid of anything like that.”

 

Katrin stuck out her tongue half-heartedly.  “So what is this brilliant plan?” 

 

“Well, Father and I were going to send Peter to the upcoming Conclave between the Circle mages and Templars, but I think you’re better suited to peacekeeping than he is.  So you’ll go in his place. Peter won’t mind, he hates the cold.”

 

She nodded and blew her nose.  “By the time I’ve made it to Ferelden and back, the gossip about the broken engagement will have blown over and no doubt Signore Giorgi will have found another young lady to bore.”

 

“That’s the spirit.  Here, I got you something.  I meant this to be your going-away gift for your wedding, but you’ll probably want it on your journey.”  Max took a small box out of his pocket and presented it to her.

 

Katrin wiped her eyes and fumbled the box open, revealing a white gold locket with blue stones.  “It’s beautiful. Thanks, Max.”

 

“You’re welcome.  I had your old tutor preserve a violet for you, that’s in the locket already.”  Max awkwardly ruffled Katrin’s hair. “Keep a piece of Ostwick with you, no matter where you are.”


End file.
